the 90s Archives - ArtsConnection Teen Programs

The Slice: Teens Talk November’s Pizza and a Movie

November 10, 2017 By Briana Thomas Leave a Comment

This month our favorite librarians at the 53rd Street branch library curated our movie night in the NYPL Takeover: Unusual Librarians edition. The librarian is a character that has been portrayed over and over in the same way. Movie critic Roger Egbert, captures it perfectly: “…young women who were earnest librarians, and wore horn-rim glasses, and put their hair up in buns, and never had any fun.”

Fortunately for us, our movie menu was filled with characters who push beyond this stereotype.

And the winner was…

Party Girl
1995 ‧ 1h 34m
Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Stars: Parker Posey, Omar Townsend, Anthony DeSando, Guillermo Diaz

FINAL RATING: 7 out of of 8 slices

Here’s what the teen audience had to say…

Every PaaM night, we ask our teens to give us their honest reviews of the winning movie. We then select voices that capture the range of opinions and critiques. Read what Layla (TRaC Star), Shanoy, Emmanuel and Novell (PaaM Newbies) thought about this 90s indie flick.

What was the overall message of the the film?

Shanoy: FUNNY, UNIQUE, INTERESTING
Emmanuel: FUNNY, ECCENTRIC, EMOTIONAL
Layla: COLORFUL, STRESSFUL, FUN
Novell: OLDER, CLASSIC, OUTLANDISH

What was your favorite scene? Bonus: Why? **SPOILER ALERT!**

Shanoy: When Mustafa came to Mary’s birthday party with flowers.
Emmanuel: The end scene, mainly because it was funny, emotional and interesting at the same time. It culminated pretty well and resolved the outstanding issues.
Layla: My favorite scene was when Mary conquered her fear/anxiousness against the Dewey Decimal system.
Novell: The scene where Leo met Venus because he was so flabbergasted by her beauty.

Would you recommend this to a friend? Why or why not?

Shanoy: I would recommend this because it’s hilarious and promotes women to stand up for themselves and push past stereotypes.
Emmanuel: No, because most of my friends aren’t into this type of movie. However, I would recommend it to an older friend into indie movies.
Layla: I would recommend this to a friend because it’s a really fun movie and I could see myself watching this in the future.
Novell: Yes, because it was very different than most movies that try to be like it.

**Join us for the next FREE Pizza and a Movie!**

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1ST

RSVP @ https://teens.artsconnection.org/paam/

How to RSVP for Pizza and a Movie Night:

Seating is limited, so you must lay claim to your seat & slice by selecting “Free Ticket- RSVP HERE” on the Pizza and a Movie event page at https://teens.artsconnection.org/paam/ Fill in your information and you will receive a reminder email the day before the event. Please let us know exactly how many people you’ll be bringing. If you have any questions, feel free to email Briana, Teen Programs Assistant at Successfully Encoded

PLEASE NOTE: This is a TEENS ONLY event.

The Slice: Teens Talk May’s Pizza and a Movie

May 24, 2017 By Briana Thomas Leave a Comment

This month, our very own Film Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) hosted the Strangers in a Strange Land Edition. All the characters found themselves adapting to novel circumstances and environments.

Here were the choices:

And the winner was…

10 Things I Hate About You
1999‧ 1h 37m
Director: Gil Junger
Stars: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

FINAL RATING: 7 out of 8 slices

Here’s what the teen audience had to say…

Every PaaM night, we ask our teens to give us their honest reviews of the winning movie. We then select voices that capture the range of opinions and critiques. Read what Cianna (TRaC Star), Zuri (The Return PaaMers), Madison (Reigning PaaM Reviewer), and one shy PaaMer thought about this feel good 90s flick.

Choose three words to describe this movie.

Cianna: INTERESTING, UNIQUE, LOVELY
Anonymous: INTERESTING, PREDICTABLE, ENTERTAINING
Zuri: CORNY, KINDA FUNNY, INTERESTING
Madison: CHEESY in all the right ways, A LOVE LETTER to the 90s, ROMANTICALLY ADORABLE

What was your favorite scene? Bonus: Why? SPOILER ALERT!

Cianna: The punching scene at prom.
Anonymous: The end when Kat got the guitar.
Zuri: When Joey got punched.
Madison: Ahh! My favorite scene was when Kat read her poem in class and it was totally @ Patrick. Why? Because it was so sad and cute and even made the badass Patrick cry!

Would you recommend this to a friend? Why or why not?

Cianna: Yes, it’s very entertaining.
Anonymous: Yes, Pizza and a Movie is a great opportunity for teens.
Zuri: No, I don’t think they would like the movie.
Madison: Yes! it is the perfect movie for people who love the 90s and always dreamed about having a hopelessly adorable teen romance!

Join us for the next FREE Pizza and a Movie!

^{FRIDAY, JUNE 2ND}

RSVP @ https://teens.artsconnection.org/paam/

How to RSVP for Pizza and a Movie Night:

PLEASE NOTE: This is a TEENS ONLY event.

The Slice: Teens Talk April’s Pizza and a Movie

April 8, 2016 By Briana Thomas Leave a Comment

This month was a special edition; we welcomed this semester’s Film Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) as our hosts for the night and took a look at their selection of Contemporary Coming of Age films that REMIXed the genre with fresh humor and style!

And… thanks to the generous people at HBO, we screened the movie in their spacious theater!

The movie choices:

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015, 105 min) Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.

Dope (2015, 103 min) Directed by Rick Famuyiwa

High-school senior Malcolm and his friends Jib and Diggy bond over ’90s hip-hop culture, their studies and playing music in their own punk band. A chance encounter with a drug dealer named Dom lands Malcolm and company at the dealer’s nightclub birthday party; when the scene turns violent, they flee — with the Ecstasy that Dom secretly hid in Malcolm’s backpack. A wild adventure ensues as the youths try to evade armed thugs who want the stash.

Raising Victor Vargas (2002, 88 min) Directed by Peter Sollett

On New York City’s Lower East Side, Dominican teen and aspiring ladies’ man Victor Vargas has nothing but girls on his mind. Though he talks a big game at the local pool, Vargas’ true experience amounts to nothing more than a string of romantic rejections. After Vargas fails to improve his abysmal reputation, he chooses a much more difficult target — the stunning and stuck-up Judy Ramirez.

And the winner was…

Dope

2015

103 min

Director: Rick Famuyiwa

Stars: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons

FINAL RATING: 6 out of 8 slices

We asked four teens to give you their reviews on this 90s loving crime comedy-drama. Laura & Tiara (The TRaC Hosts), Kayla (The Budding PaaMer), and Max (The O.P – Original PaaMer) …

How would you sum up the movie in one sentence?

Max: How a drug dealer forced himself into Harvard.

Laura: The identity crisis of a black, 90s obsessed geek.

Tiara: A honest representation of a minority who wants better.

Kayla: It was DOPE

Who would you recommend this movie to?

Max: Innocent friends of dangerous people

Laura: All my friends because it was really funny and had an important message.

Tiara: To teens who want an honest look at being a poor minority.

Kayla: My English teacher

Check DOPE out on your own- streaming on Netflix!

Join us for the next FREE Pizza and a Movie!

May 6th

RSVP event page available soon!!

How to RSVP for Pizza and a Movie Night:

Seating is limited, so you must lay claim to your seat & slice by selecting “Free Ticket- RSVP HERE” on the Pizza and a Movie event page at http://teens.artsconnection.org/high5/. Fill in your information and you will receive a reminder email the day before the event. Please let us know exactly how many people you’ll be bringing. If you have any questions, feel free to email Briana, Teen Programs Assistant at

PLEASE NOTE: This is a TEENS ONLY event, open to anyone currently in HIGH SCHOOL.

The Slice: Teens Talk March’s Pizza and a Movie

March 11, 2016 By Briana Thomas Leave a Comment

This month was the I <3 the 90s edition. We lined up three films that captured the spirit of that great-often imitated but never duplicated-decade. Creativity was flowing and film makers were branching out in different directions. You would be surprised how many of our favorite genres, plot devices and directors got their start in the 1990s.

The choices:

The original, bizarre and very surreal…

Being John Malkovich (1999)
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy | 3 December 1999 (USA)
Director: Spike Jonze

The gripping plot twist…

The Usual Suspects (1995)
Crime, Drama, Mystery | 15 September 1995 (USA)
Director: Bryan Singer

The uncommon war movie…

Three Kings (1999)
Action, Adventure, Comedy | 1 October 1999 (USA)
Director: David O. Russell

And the winner was…

The Usual Suspects

1995

106 min

Director: Bryan Singer

Stars: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Bryne, Chazz Palminteri

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist,” says con man Kint, drawing a comparison to the most enigmatic criminal of all time, Keyser Soze. Kint attempts to convince the feds that the mythic crime lord not only exists, but is also responsible for drawing Kint and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro Harbor.

FINAL RATING: 6 out of 8 slices

We asked four teens to give you their reviews on this mind bending crime drama. Check out how Destinee & Juliana (The Newbies) and Yaadi & Rajesh (The PaaM Regulars) reviewed the movie…

How would you sum up the movie in one sentence?

Destinee: What an interesting plot twist

Juliana: The definition of a plot twist

Rajesh: A great movie with an ending that changes EVERYTHING you know about the story.

Yaadi: Dramatic yet colorful and a very unpredictable twist.

Who would you recommend this movie to?

Destinee: People who are interested in suspense and investigations.

Juliana: Older men.

Rajesh: My friends.

Yaadi: My parents.

Join us for the next FREE Pizza and a Movie!

April 1^st

RSVP event page available soon!!

How to RSVP for Pizza and a Movie Night:

PLEASE NOTE: This is a TEENS ONLY event, open to anyone currently in HIGH SCHOOL.